This invention relates to training aids for swimmers and, more particularly, to training paddles such as are used to provide increased resistance to the swimmer's stroking motion for strength building exercises.
A swimmer is propelled forward by displacing water rearwardly through the motion of the hands and feet. Any individual who wishes to gain a competitive edge will have to engage in some form of regular resistance training. Sports specific training is recognized as the best method for enhancing stroke strength and endurance and using hand paddles is one way that swimmers have achieved this. Correspondingly, it is not surprising that the shoulder is the most commonly injured part of a competitive swimmer's body.
While the use of paddles increases water displacement and thereby the thrust of each swimming stroke, at the same time they increase the tendency of the swimmer's hand to rotate; the tendency is especially pronounced if the area of the paddle is large relative to the size of the hand. The swimmer must counteract this rotational tendency in order to maintain stability of the hand which, in turn, maximizes water displacement, and thus determines the efficiency of each stroke.
Known training devices include hand-sized, and larger, rectangular or oval hand paddles made of rigid plastic material provided with a finger loop and an optional wrist loop for securing the hand to the paddle. Examples include the paddle described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,233, which takes the form of a generally rectangular rigid, planar member having a power surface textured with channels that direct and momentarily capture water, the other surface being configured to engage a swimmer's hand. The momentary capture of water by the textured surface is said to increase the thrust achieved with each stroke.
The swimmer training paddle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,254 is a generally triangular, planar member having a rounded forward edge, first and second side edges and a rearward edge. A fin depends from the under surface of the planar member and means are provided for attaching a swimmer's middle finger for holding the hand palm side down against the upper surface.
The hand paddle described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,418 is a flat plastic sheet in the form of a rectangle whose corners have been rounded, and has a surface area significantly larger than a human hand. A plurality of apertures are arranged to cover an area on the paddle approximately equal to the user's hand size and offset toward the thumb side of the paddle. The apertures closely approach the edge of the paddle on the thumb side, leaving a substantially larger area on the little finger or foil side of the paddle. Although this swimmer's paddle has enjoyed wide acceptance, experience has shown that this and other prior art designs of generally rectangular or oval shape place excessive resistance on the biceps tendon (long head) and on the supraspinatus muscle of the rotator cuff in the early pull-through phase of the freestyle swim cycle. These forces can also lead to impingement syndrome, again contributing to excessive stress and damage over the anterior (frontal area) aspect of the shoulder.
Thus, a need exists for an improved swimmer training paddle that enhances stroke strength while minimizing the risk of shoulder injury.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved swimming paddle that increases a swimmer's arm strength and endurance without placing excessive resistance on the biceps and shoulder of the swimmer.
Another object is to provide such improved swimming paddle that also decreases the tendency of a swimmer's hand to rotate during the routine of a stroke.
Yet another object is to provide an improved swimming paddle which enhances stroke strength without placing excessive pressure on the acromo-clavicular joint of the shoulder and the rotator cuff area, thereby to reduce the risk of injury to the shoulder.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved swimming paddle which during the routine of a stroke directs water onto the most sensitive area of the palm of the user's hand for promoting development of improved proprioceptive feel for subtle changes in water pressure during execution of the stroke, essential to improving the swimmer's skill in the water.